Biker clothing chain Hein Gericke latest to go into administration in the UK

BRITAIN’S double-dip recession claimed another high street victim yesterday as it emerged that the UK arm of German motorbike clothing retailer Hein ­Gericke has gone into administration.

The business, which has 47 UK shops including branches in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow and a head office in Harrogate, has seen sales slide in recent years as the economic climate worsened, administrators at Moorfields Corporate Recovery said.

Moorfields said it was looking to sell the operation, which is thought to employ about 200 staff but is separate from the German parent company. Its stores will open as usual until a buyer can be found.

Simon Thomas, joint administrator at Moorfields, said: “While the ongoing economic pressures have affected sales in recent years I am confident the business model has a lot of potential with a dedicated customer base and staff who are obviously passionate about working for the company.”

Interested parties have until 6 August to contact the administrator.

Hein Gericke was a German biker who opened a motorcycle shop in his home country in the 1970s. Within a few years it had developed into Germany’s largest motorcycle dealership. The company had an international presence by 1987, at which point Gericke sold the business.

A short statement on its UK website said the group was “saddened” by the administration but added that the future of the UK operation was being “determined and hopefully secured”.

The Hein Gericke brand is sold through a retail shop presence across Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.